5-27-2012

The end of the school year is a busy time for everyone.  (This is my excuse for being late updating the blog.)  Once we hit that last week, everything seemed to be due.  We had report cards, inventory (yes, all kids were accounted for), checkouts, and stowage for the summer.  Then we had to pack for the summer, which didn’t take too long since Monica did most of that.  Well, it didn’t take very long for me.  If Monica could type in here, she may have a different version about the difficulty of the pack.  But she isn’t so we’ll stick with my version.

We left Nunam Iqua and spent one night in Anchorage before heading to Vegas.  Nunam and Vegas are on the opposite ends of any spectrum you can imagine.  Alcohol is illegal in Nunam whereas it seems to be required in Vegas.  Population in Nunam is about 200.  The number of people standing in line for a Buffet in Vegas is about 200.  We had to be ferried to the airstrip in a snowmobile when we left Nunam and it was over 100 degrees our first day in Vegas.  There are many more things I could juxtapose here but you can see that we didn’t have much time for adjustment to crazy. 

Flying from Numan back down to Oklahoma is an ordeal in itself.  We had to change planes seven times.   That is seven more times I have to wonder about how humans have fought off  Natural Selection.  People must know that there are others behind them while in line, but many show no concern holding up the line while fiddling with their carry-ons or cell phones.  It amazes me how long it takes for people to file in and out of a plane.  Or how difficult it is to understand the complex seating arraignment on the plane.  I see it as matching what my boarding pass has printed on it to the number and letter designation printed on the plane.  Others see it as a frantic scavenger hunt, trying their best to decipher the cryptic symbols hidden on their boarding pass.  I think I’ll stop my air travel whining now and not even get into the baggage carousal fiasco.  You’re welcome.

 We are glad to be back seeing our family and friends.  We’ll spend much of the summer trying to catch up with people, whether they want to see us or not.  I also have plans today to BBQ my first three of many racks of ribs.  We are still adjusting to not having to get up for school.  Also our culinary choices have expanded (as will my waistline I’m sure).  But we’ll get rested up and will be ready to head back up there in a couple of months.  Last summer we were ready to escape the heat down here after the first of many weeks over 100 degrees.  See, I haven’t been here a week and I’m already complaining about the weather. 

5-13-2012

You know how when you were in high school you wondered how useful calculus would be in your life?  I mean unless you were a nerd.  Because as a nerd, calculus will play a large part in every aspect in your life.  Like when you would attempt to talk to a girl at a party.  You would say hi.  She would ask you what you liked and you would say calculus. She would then abruptly turn around and walk over to the guys who were trying to light their own farts with matches.  I never understood calculus and I never understood girls.  As I got older, I forgot about calculus and never understood women.  Another part of high school I never thought I would relive was the prom.  But just like my estimation of women, I was wrong.

Sheldon Point School prom 2012.

Our school had its prom on Friday night.  I was asked to be a chaperone, mainly because I happened to make eye contact with the person who was planning the prom during a staff meeting.  When a school has only 6 teachers, I ‘volunteer’ for many activities I normally wouldn’t choose to attend.  The prom being one of them.  I don’t dislike the idea of the prom, just the idea of me being at the prom.  My main responsibility was to hang out in the hallway to keep kids from loitering.  That was much better than being in the gym where the noise was blaring out of the sound system.  Yes, I just referred to the prom music as noise.  I even had a discussion about “music these days” with another teacher.  But the kids enjoyed themselves so it was worth the slight headache.  The biggest difference I saw from the proms I went to and this one was the walk home at 11pm: it was still light out and it was snowing. 

Since we are down to our last week, we are becoming creative with our menus as we try to eat the last of the perishables before we leave for the summer.  We did a pretty good job of buying in bulk and having enough to last throughout the year.  Our meat order lasted us for the year, so that one was about perfect.  We have a few eggs and one more meal of potatoes.  Of course, we still have some canned and dry goods that will keep until we get back next year.  We will eat our last two cans of chili next Friday night for our last Chili-n-Rice night.  I’m thinking we can get the candles out for that one.

With school winding down the kids are beginning to get restless.  Not too bad, but they can sense the end.  It hasn’t been above freezing much this spring and the snow hasn’t been able to melt.  Normally it is warmer here by now and most of the snow would be gone, so maybe they’re fooled into thinking it isn’t Spring yet.  I’m not fooled though. 

We just rewatched The Hangover to make sure we’re in the mood for Vegas.   I think my expectations may be a little bit different than Monica’s.

I want to wish all the mothers a happy Mother’s Day.  I have four important women in my life, three of whom I am not married to.  Two of them came with my wife in a package deal.  They have been more than understanding with me and the crazy places I have dragged Monica to.  Well, at least to my face.  Polly keeps me well fed and entertained when we’re home.  Caroline also keeps me well fed and fusses over me more than she should.  I am lucky to have them in my life.  And to my own mother.  She gave birth to me a little over 25 years ago (give or take 20 years) and has also fed me well.  But she is also a strong and determined woman who has passed down my tendency to be pig-headed at times.  Thanks Mom, and happy Mother’s Day.